1
|
Zhou Y, Kuerman M, Zhou Q, Hou B, Li B, Li Y, Zhang L, Liu T. Lacticaseibacillus casei K11 exerts immunomodulatory effects by enhancing natural killer cell cytotoxicity via the extracellular regulated-protein kinase pathway. Eur J Nutr 2024:10.1007/s00394-024-03390-2. [PMID: 38592520 DOI: 10.1007/s00394-024-03390-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Probiotics can serve as immunomodulators that regulate the activation of immune cells. This study aimed to screen potential probiotic strains that can enhance NK cell toxicity to improve host immunity. METHODS In this investigation, we examined three potential probiotic strains, namely Lactiplantibacillus plantarum YZX21 (YZX21), Bifidobacterium bifidum FL-276.1 (FL-276.1) and Lacticaseibacillus casei K11 (K11), to assess their capacity in modulating NK cytotoxicity both in vitro and in vivo, while elucidating the underlying mechanisms involved. RESULTS The findings demonstrated that K11 exhibited superior efficacy in enhancing NK cytotoxicity. Subsequent analysis revealed that K11 significantly augmented the secretion of perforin and granzyme B by NK cells through activation of receptors NKp30 and NKp46 via the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway. Furthermore, heat-inactivated K11 also enhanced NK cell activity to an extent comparable to live bacteria, with lipoteichoic acid from K11 identified as a crucial factor mediating the activation of NK cell cytotoxicity. CONCLUSION Our study suggests that K11 may have potential applications as probiotics or postbiotics for regulating NK cell cytotoxicity to enhance immunity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhou
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, N-O-1299 Sansha Road, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Malina Kuerman
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, N-O-1299 Sansha Road, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Qi Zhou
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, N-O-1299 Sansha Road, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Baochao Hou
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Dairy, Hohhot, 010000, China
| | - Baolei Li
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Dairy, Hohhot, 010000, China
| | - Yang Li
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China
| | - Lanwei Zhang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, N-O-1299 Sansha Road, Qingdao, 266003, China.
| | - Tongjie Liu
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, N-O-1299 Sansha Road, Qingdao, 266003, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Marin MLC, Rached MR, Monteiro SM, Kalil J, Abrao MS, Coelho V. Soluble MICA in endometriosis pathophysiology: Impairs NK cell degranulation and effector functions. Am J Reprod Immunol 2024; 91:e13830. [PMID: 38454570 DOI: 10.1111/aji.13830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
PROBLEM Endometriosis exhibits several immune dysfunctions, including deficient natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity. MICA (MHC class I chain-related molecule A) is induced by biological stress and soluble MICA (sMICA) negatively modulates the expression of the activating receptor, NKG2D, reducing NK cells activities. We investigated the involvement of soluble MICA in NK cell-deficient activity in endometriosis. METHODS OF STUDY sMICA levels (serum and peritoneal fluid-PF) were evaluated by ELISA. Circulating NK cell subsets quantification and its NKG2D receptor expression, NK cell cytotoxicity and CD107a, IFN-γ and IL-10 expressions by NK cells stimulated with K562 cells were determined by flow cytometry. RESULTS We found higher sMICA levels (serum and PF) in endometriosis, especially in advanced and deep endometriosis. Endometriosis presented lower percentages of CD56dim CD16+ cytotoxic cells and impaired NK cell responses upon stimulation, resulting in lower CD107a and IFN-γ expressions, and deficient NK cell cytotoxicity. NK cell stimulation in the MICA-blocked condition (mimicking the effect of sMICA) showed decreased cytotoxicity in initial endometriosis stages and the emergence of a negative correlation between CD107a expression and sMICA levels. CONCLUSIONS We suggest that soluble MICA is a potential player in endometriosis pathophysiology with involvement in disease progression and severity, contributing to NK cell impaired IFN-γ response and degranulation. NK cell compartment exhibits multiple perturbations, including quantitative deficiency and impaired cytotoxicity, contributing to inadequate elimination of ectopic endometrial tissue.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Lucia Carnevale Marin
- Laboratorio de Imunologia, Instituto do Coracao, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Laboratorio de Investigaçao Medica 19 (LIM-19), Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Marici Rached Rached
- Laboratorio de Imunologia, Instituto do Coracao, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Sandra Maria Monteiro
- Laboratorio de Imunologia, Instituto do Coracao, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Jorge Kalil
- Laboratorio de Imunologia, Instituto do Coracao, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Laboratorio de Investigaçao Medica 19 (LIM-19), Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Instituto de Investigacao em Imunologia, Instituto Nacional de Ciencia e Tecnologia (iii-INCT), Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Divisao de Imunologia Clinica e Alergia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Mauricio Simoes Abrao
- Divisao de Imunologia Clinica e Alergia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Disciplina de Ginecologia, Departamento de Obstetricia e Ginecologia, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Departamento de Ginecologia, BP - A Beneficencia Portuguesa de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Verônica Coelho
- Laboratorio de Imunologia, Instituto do Coracao, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Instituto de Investigacao em Imunologia, Instituto Nacional de Ciencia e Tecnologia (iii-INCT), Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Divisao de Imunologia Clinica e Alergia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Kang YJ, Cho HJ, Lee Y, Park A, Kim MJ, Jeung IC, Jung YW, Jung H, Choi I, Lee HG, Yoon SR. IL-17A and Th17 Cells Contribute to Endometrial Cell Survival by Inhibiting Apoptosis and NK Cell Mediated Cytotoxicity of Endometrial Cells via ERK1/2 Pathway. Immune Netw 2023; 23:e14. [PMID: 37179747 PMCID: PMC10166657 DOI: 10.4110/in.2023.23.e14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune status including the immune cells and cytokine profiles has been implicated in the development of endometriosis. In this study, we analyzed Th17 cells and IL-17A in peritoneal fluid (PF) and endometrial tissues of patients with (n=10) and without (n=26) endometriosis. Our study has shown increased Th17 cell population and IL-17A level in PF with endometriosis patients. To determine the roles of IL-17A and Th17 cells in the development of endometriosis, the effect of IL-17A, major cytokine of Th17, on endometrial cells isolated from endometriotic tissues was examined. Recombinant IL-17A promoted survival of endometrial cells accompanied by increased expression of anti-apoptotic genes, including Bcl-2 and MCL1, and the activation of ERK1/2 signaling. In addition, treatment of IL-17A to endometrial cells inhibited NK cell mediated cytotoxicity and induced HLA-G expression on endometrial cells. IL-17A also promoted migration of endometrial cells. Our data suggest that Th17 cells and IL-17A play critical roles in the development of endometriosis by promoting endometrial cell survival and conferring a resistance to NK cell cytotoxicity through the activation of ERK1/2 signaling. Targeting IL-17A has potential as a new strategy for the treatment of endometriosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Young-Ju Kang
- Immunotherapy Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
- Catholic high-performance Cell Therapy Center, The Catholic University of Korea School of Medicine, Seoul 06591, Korea
| | - Hee Jun Cho
- Immunotherapy Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Yunhee Lee
- Immunotherapy Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Chungnam University, Daejeon 34134, Korea
| | - Arum Park
- Immunotherapy Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Mi Jeong Kim
- Immunotherapy Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - In Cheul Jeung
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Daejeon 34943, Korea
| | - Yong-Wook Jung
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, CHA Gangnam Medical Center, Seoul 06135, Korea
| | - Haiyoung Jung
- Immunotherapy Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Inpyo Choi
- Immunotherapy Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Hee Gu Lee
- Immunotherapy Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Suk Ran Yoon
- Immunotherapy Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhu Y, Shi J. Cytotoxic and chemotactic dynamics of NK cells quantified by live-cell imaging. Methods Cell Biol 2023; 173:49-64. [PMID: 36653085 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2022.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Natural Killer (NK) cells detect and eliminate virus-infected cells and cancer cells, and are crucial players of the human immune defense system. Although the relevant molecular machineries involved in NK cell activation and NK-target cell interactions are largely known, how their collective signaling modulates the dynamic behaviors of NK cells, e.g., motility and cytotoxicity, and the rate-limiting kinetics involved are still in need of comprehensive investigations. In traditional bulk killing assays, heterogeneity and kinetic details of individual NK-target cell interactions are masked, seriously limiting analysis of the underlying dynamic mechanisms. Here we present detailed protocols of a number of live-cell imaging assays using fluorescent protein reporters and/or a live-cell dye that enable the acquisition of quantitative kinetic data at the single cell level for elucidating the mechanism underlying the interaction dynamics of primary human NK cells and epithelial cancer cells. Moreover, we discuss how the imaging data can be analyzed either alone or in combination to quantify and determine the key dynamic steps/intermediates involved in specific NK cell activity, e.g., NK cell cytotoxic modes and their associated kinetics, and NK cell motility toward different cancer targets. These live-cell imaging assays can be easily adapted to analyze the rate-limiting kinetics and heterogeneity of other cell-cell interaction dynamics, e.g., in T cell function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanting Zhu
- Department of Physics and Department of Biology, Center for Quantitative Systems Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jue Shi
- Department of Physics and Department of Biology, Center for Quantitative Systems Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Jung HY, Lee DK, Lee M, Choi SH, Park JD, Ko ES, Lee J, Park KS, Jung HY. ELK3-CXCL16 axis determines natural killer cell cytotoxicity via the chemotactic activity of CXCL16 in triple negative breast cancer. Oncoimmunology 2023; 12:2190671. [PMID: 36950218 PMCID: PMC10026901 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2023.2190671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most challenging subtype of breast cancer because of its aggressive behavior and the limited therapeutic strategies available. In the last decade, immunotherapy has become a promising treatment to prolong survival in advanced solid cancers including TNBC. However, the efficacy of immunotherapy in solid cancers remains limited because solid tumors contain few tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Here, we show that targeting an ETS transcription factor ELK3 (ELK3) recruits immune cells including natural killer (NK) cells into tumors via the chemotactic activity of chemokine. ELK3 depletion increases CXCL16 expression level and promotes NK cell cytotoxicity through CXCL16-mediated NK cell recruitment in TNBC. In silico analysis showed that ELK3 is negatively correlated with CXCL16 expression in breast cancer patient samples. Low expression of ELK3 and high expression of CXCL16 were associated with a better prognosis. Low expression of ELK3 and high expression of CXCL16 were associated with increased expression of NK cell-related genes. Our findings demonstrate that the ELK3-CXCL16 axis modulates NK cell recruitment to increase NK cell cytotoxicity, suggesting that targeting the ELK3 gene could be an adjuvant strategy for increasing the efficacy of immunotherapy in TNBC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hae-Yun Jung
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Life Science, CHA University, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
- Hae-Yun Jung Division of Radiation Biomedical Research, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Dae-Keum Lee
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Life Science, CHA University, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Minwook Lee
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Life Science, CHA University, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Hee Choi
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Life Science, CHA University, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Joo Dong Park
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Life Science, CHA University, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Su Ko
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Life Science, CHA University, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Jongwon Lee
- Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Biomedical Science, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung-Soon Park
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Life Science, CHA University, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
- CONTACT Kyung-Soon Park
| | - Hae-Yun Jung
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Life Science, CHA University, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
- Division of Radiation Biomedical Research, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, Republic ok Korea
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Huang JJ, Gaines SB, Amezcua ML, Lubell TR, Dayan PS, Dale M, Boneparth AD, Hicar MD, Winchester R, Gorelik M. Upregulation of type 1 conventional dendritic cells implicates antigen cross-presentation in multisystem inflammatory syndrome. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2021; 149:912-922. [PMID: 34688775 PMCID: PMC8530782 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2021.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Background Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is an acute, febrile, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-associated syndrome, often with cardiohemodynamic dysfunction. Insight into mechanism of disease is still incomplete. Objective Our objective was to analyze immunologic features of MIS-C patients compared to febrile controls (FC). Methods MIS-C patients were defined by narrow criteria, including having evidence of cardiohemodynamic involvement and no macrophage activation syndrome. Samples were collected from 8 completely treatment-naive patients with MIS-C (SARS-CoV-2 serology positive), 3 patients with unclassified MIS-C–like disease (serology negative), 14 FC, and 5 MIS-C recovery (RCV). Three healthy controls (HCs) were used for comparisons of normal range. Using spectral flow cytometry, we assessed 36 parameters in antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and 29 in T cells. We used biaxial analysis and uniform manifold approximation and projection (UMAP). Results Significant elevations in cytokines including CXCL9, M-CSF, and IL-27 were found in MIS-C compared to FC. Classic monocytes and type 2 dendritic cells (DCs) were downregulated (decreased CD86, HLA-DR) versus HCs; however, type 1 DCs (CD11c+CD141+CLEC9A+) were highly activated in MIS-C patients versus FC, expressing higher levels of CD86, CD275, and atypical conventional DC markers such as CD64, CD115, and CX3CR1. CD169 and CD38 were upregulated in multiple monocyte subtypes. CD56dim/CD57−/KLRGhi/CD161+/CD38− natural killer (NK) cells were a unique subset in MIS-C versus FC without macrophage activation syndrome. Conclusion Orchestrated by complex cytokine signaling, type 1 DC activation and NK dysregulation are key features in the pathophysiology of MIS-C. NK cell findings may suggest a relationship with macrophage activation syndrome, while type 1 DC upregulation implies a role for antigen cross-presentation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Janice J Huang
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Samantha B Gaines
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Center for Clinical and Translational Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Mateo L Amezcua
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Tamar R Lubell
- Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Peter S Dayan
- Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Marissa Dale
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Alexis D Boneparth
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Mark D Hicar
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Buffalo Medicine Center, Buffalo, NY
| | - Robert Winchester
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Center for Clinical and Translational Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Mark Gorelik
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Song J, Choi H, Koh SK, Park D, Yu J, Kang H, Kim Y, Cho D, Jeon NL. High-Throughput 3D In Vitro Tumor Vasculature Model for Real-Time Monitoring of Immune Cell Infiltration and Cytotoxicity. Front Immunol 2021; 12:733317. [PMID: 34630415 PMCID: PMC8500473 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.733317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in anticancer therapy have shown dramatic improvements in clinical outcomes, and adoptive cell therapy has emerged as a type of immunotherapy that can modulate immune responses by transferring engineered immune cells. However, a small percentage of responders and their toxicity remain as challenges. Three-dimensional (3D) in vitro models of the tumor microenvironment (TME) have the potential to provide a platform for assessing and predicting responses to therapy. This paper describes an in vitro 3D tumor model that incorporates clusters of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells around perfusable vascular networks to validate immune-cell-mediated cytotoxicity against cancer cells. The platform is based on an injection-molded 3D co-culture model and composed of 28 microwells where separate identical vascularized cancer models can be formed. It allows robust hydrogel patterning for 3D culture that enables high-throughput experimentation. The uniformity of the devices resulted in reproducible experiments that allowed 10× more experiments to be performed when compared to conventional polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based microfluidic devices. To demonstrate its capability, primary natural killer (NK) cells were introduced into the vascularized tumor network, and their activities were monitored using live-cell imaging. Extravasation, migration, and cytotoxic activity against six types of CRC cell lines were tested and compared. The consensus molecular subtypes (CMS) of CRC with distinct immune responses resulted in the highest NK cell cytotoxicity against CMS1 cancer cells. These results show the potential of our vascularized tumor model for understanding various steps involved in the immune response for the assessment of adoptive cell therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiyoung Song
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hyeri Choi
- Interdisciplinary Program in Bioengineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Seung Kwon Koh
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences & Technology (SAIHST), Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Dohyun Park
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - James Yu
- Interdisciplinary Program in Bioengineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Habin Kang
- Interdisciplinary Program in Bioengineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Youngtaek Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Duck Cho
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences & Technology (SAIHST), Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Genetics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Noo Li Jeon
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.,Interdisciplinary Program in Bioengineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.,Institute of Advanced Machines and Design (SNU-IAMD), Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Ota K, Takahashi T, Han A, Damvaeba S, Mizunuma H, Kwak-Kim J. Effects of MTHFR C677T polymorphism on vitamin D, homocysteine and natural killer cell cytotoxicity in women with recurrent pregnancy losses. Hum Reprod 2021; 35:1276-1287. [PMID: 32478379 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deaa095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Is there any relationship between vitamin D [25 (OH) vitamin D], total plasma homocysteine and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism in women with recurrent pregnancy losses (RPL)? SUMMARY ANSWER Women with MTHFR 677TT (homozygous mutation, TT) genotype have significantly lower vitamin D levels, higher homocysteine and natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicities than those of women with MTHFR 677CC (wild type, CC) and 677CT (heterozygous mutation, CT) genotypes. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Vitamin D insufficiency, MTHFR C677T polymorphism and hyperhomocysteinemia have been reported as risk factors for RPL. However, the relationship between these risk factors is not known in this population. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This is a retrospective cross-sectional study, including 837 women with RPL, who were enrolled in Reproductive Medicine and Immunology, Chicago Medical School, between 2012 and 2017. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Women with two or more RPL prior to 20 weeks of gestation were included. To investigate whether the MTHFR C677T polymorphism affects the levels of homocysteine and vitamin D as well as immune parameters in women with RPL, biochemical data, such as plasma total homocysteine and serum vitamin D levels, and immune parameters, including NK cell cytotoxicity, were analyzed by MTHFR C677T genotype (CC, CT and TT). MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE The serum level of vitamin D in TT was significantly lower when compared with those of CT (P = 0.001) and CC (P = 0.003), while the level of homocysteine in TT was significantly higher than those in CT (P = 0.01) and CC (P = 0.01). NK cytotoxicity in TT was significantly higher than that of CC (P = 0.04) but not CT (P = 0.09). There was a significant negative correlation between the levels of vitamin D and homocysteine in TT (r = -0.357, P < 0.01). In multivariate analysis, vitamin D insufficiency (<30 ng/ml) was an independent risk factor for hyperhomocysteinemia (adjusted odds ratio 1.89, 95% CI 1.41-2.52). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The study was retrospective and included only women with RPL but not healthy fertile controls. In addition, folic acid, vitamin B6 and B12 intake, which could modify the level of homocysteine and vitamin D, were not investigated. Thus, a considerable part of women might have folic acid and vitamin D supplementation and prenatal vitamin pills, and there are probable confounders in this study associated with unrestricted vitamin supplementation. Therefore, the findings should be carefully interpreted and applied to RPL women with MTHFR gene polymorphism. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS The findings attained in this analysis regarding the MTHFR polymorphism and its relationship with vitamin D, homocysteine and NK cytotoxicity may aid in uncovering the underlying etiology and mechanism for RPL. The study highlights an interplay between nutrition and immune responses in RPL. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) No external funding was received for this study. None of the authors have any conflict of interest to declare. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kuniaki Ota
- Reproductive Medicine and Immunology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Clinical Sciences Department, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Vernon Hills, IL, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fukushima Medical Center for Children and Women, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Toshifumi Takahashi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fukushima Medical Center for Children and Women, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Aera Han
- Reproductive Medicine and Immunology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Clinical Sciences Department, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Vernon Hills, IL, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kangseo Mizmedi Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Svetlana Damvaeba
- Center for Cancer Cell Biology, Immunology and Infection, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Hideki Mizunuma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fukushima Medical Center for Children and Women, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Joanne Kwak-Kim
- Reproductive Medicine and Immunology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Clinical Sciences Department, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Vernon Hills, IL, USA.,Center for Cancer Cell Biology, Immunology and Infection, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Dons'koi BV, Chernyshov VP, Osypchuk DV, Sudoma I, Khazhylenko KG, Strelko GV, Sirenko WJ. Natural killer frequency determines natural killer cytotoxicity directly in accentuated zones and indirectly in "moderate-to-normal frequency" segment. Cent Eur J Immunol 2020; 45:315-24. [PMID: 33437184 DOI: 10.5114/ceji.2020.101263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) frequency and NK cytotoxicity (NKc) are key determining factors of a clinical outcome. In our previous study, we showed the prognostic clinical significance of immune parameters when they are beyond the optimal range (accentuated). In this study, we attempted to explain the disparity of accentuated but physiologically and immunologically normal NK parameters that might serve as negative clinical prognostics indications of failed pregnancies. We have analyzed NK%, NKc levels, and their reciprocal correlation in 2,804 patients with reproductive failures. In the entire clinical population, NK% correlates with NKc. Interestingly, we found this relationship to be strongly dependent on NK level's status. NK%-NKc correlation was the strongest (r = 0.2021, p < 0.0001) in a patient group with high NK% (> 17.5%). Patients with NK% between 15-17.5% manifested lower but still significant correlation NK%-NKc (r = 0.1213, p = 0.0155). Additionally, significant correlation (r = 0.2689, p < < 0.0001) between NK% and NKc was observed in a group of patients with NK levels < 7% (1.7-7%). While patients' groups with NK% (7-15%) did not reveal NK%-NKc association. This led us to hypothesize that the qualitative-quantitative status of NK population is responsible for their cytotoxic activity. Consistent with our hypothesis, the "balanced zone" NK% is tightly controlled, and thus does not correlate directly with NKc. In contrast, the "accentuated zones" of NK% escape this control and directly affecting NKc. Demonstrated phenomena supports our idea about the clinical significance of immune accentuation and explains its novel physiological role.
Collapse
|
10
|
Jo H, Cha B, Kim H, Brito S, Kwak BM, Kim ST, Bin BH, Lee MG. α-Pinene Enhances the Anticancer Activity of Natural Killer Cells via ERK/AKT Pathway. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:E656. [PMID: 33440866 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22020656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes that can directly destroy cancer cells. When NK cells are activated, CD56 and CD107a markers are able to recognize cancer cells and release perforin and granzyme B proteins that induce apoptosis in the targeted cells. In this study, we focused on the role of phytoncides in activating NK cells and promoting anticancer effects. We tested the effects of several phytoncide compounds on NK-92mi cells and demonstrated that α-pinene treatment exhibited higher anticancer effects, as observed by the increased levels of perforin, granzyme B, CD56 and CD107a. Furthermore, α-pinene treatment in NK-92mi cells increased NK cell cytotoxicity in two different cell lines, and immunoblot assays revealed that the ERK/AKT pathway is involved in NK cell cytotoxicity in response to phytoncides. Furthermore, CT-26 colon cancer cells were allografted subcutaneously into BALB/c mice, and α-pinene treatment then inhibited allografted tumor growth. Our findings demonstrate that α-pinene activates NK cells and increases NK cell cytotoxicity, suggesting it is a potential compound for cancer immunotherapy.
Collapse
|
11
|
Chen X, Diao L, Lian R, Qi L, Yu S, Liu S, Lin S, Xue Z, Zeng Y. Potential impact of maternal vitamin D status on peripheral blood and endometrium cellular immunity in women with recurrent implantation failure. Am J Reprod Immunol 2020; 84:e13243. [PMID: 32277536 DOI: 10.1111/aji.13243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
PROBLEM This study aims to evaluate the modulatory effects of vitamin D on peripheral blood and endometrial cellular immunity in women with recurrent implantation failure (RIF). METHOD OF STUDY One hundred and fifty-four women with RIF were identified at a fertility center from January 2018 and March 2019. Blood and endometrium samples were collected during the mid-luteal phase before IVF treatment or pregnancy. The serum vitamin D status, NK cell cytotoxicity, Th1 cytokine production, and endometrial immune cells were detected before and after vitamin D supplementation. RESULTS The NK cell cytotoxicity at an effector:target (E:T) ratio of 50:1 or 25:1 was significantly higher in vitamin D insufficiency group (VDI) than those in vitamin D normal group (VDN) (P < .05 each). The percentage of IFN-γ- or TNF-α-producing Th cells was significantly increased in VDI or vitamin D deficiency group (VDD) when compared with VDN (P < .05 each). The percentage of CD68+ macrophages on all endometrial cells in VDI and VDD was significantly higher than in VDN (P < .05 each), while no significant differences in the percentage of other endometrial immune cells among the three groups were observed. This dysregulation was significantly reduced with vitamin D supplementation. CONCLUSION Our findings highlighted that vitamin D may have an important role in the regulation of not only systemic but also local immune response for optimization of maternal tolerance for implantation in women with RIF. Pre-conception optimization of vitamin D status should be considered in women with RIF.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xian Chen
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology of Peri-implantation, Shenzhen Zhongshan Institute for Reproduction and Genetics, Fertility Center, Shenzhen Zhongshan Urology Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lianghui Diao
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology of Peri-implantation, Shenzhen Zhongshan Institute for Reproduction and Genetics, Fertility Center, Shenzhen Zhongshan Urology Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ruochun Lian
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology of Peri-implantation, Shenzhen Zhongshan Institute for Reproduction and Genetics, Fertility Center, Shenzhen Zhongshan Urology Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lingbin Qi
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuyi Yu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology of Peri-implantation, Shenzhen Zhongshan Institute for Reproduction and Genetics, Fertility Center, Shenzhen Zhongshan Urology Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Su Liu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology of Peri-implantation, Shenzhen Zhongshan Institute for Reproduction and Genetics, Fertility Center, Shenzhen Zhongshan Urology Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shenglai Lin
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology of Peri-implantation, Shenzhen Zhongshan Institute for Reproduction and Genetics, Fertility Center, Shenzhen Zhongshan Urology Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhigang Xue
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yong Zeng
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology of Peri-implantation, Shenzhen Zhongshan Institute for Reproduction and Genetics, Fertility Center, Shenzhen Zhongshan Urology Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Li SS, Saleh M, Xiang RF, Ogbomo H, Stack D, Huston SH, Mody CH. Natural killer cells kill Burkholderia cepacia complex via a contact-dependent and cytolytic mechanism. Int Immunol 2020; 31:385-396. [PMID: 31051036 DOI: 10.1093/intimm/dxz016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 04/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc), which includes B. cenocepacia and B. multivorans, pose a life-threatening risk to patients with cystic fibrosis. Eradication of Bcc is difficult due to the high level of intrinsic resistance to antibiotics, and failure of many innate immune cells to control the infection. Because of the pathogenesis of Bcc infections, we wondered if a novel mechanism of microbial host defense involving direct antibacterial activity by natural killer (NK) cells might play a role in the control of Bcc. We demonstrate that NK cells bound Burkholderia, resulting in Src family kinase activation as measured by protein tyrosine phosphorylation, granule release of effector proteins such as perforin and contact-dependent killing of the bacteria. These studies provide a means by which NK cells could play a role in host defense against Bcc infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shu Shun Li
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Alberta, Canada.,The Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Alberta, Canada
| | - Marwah Saleh
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Alberta, Canada
| | - Richard F Xiang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Alberta, Canada.,The Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Alberta, Canada
| | - Henry Ogbomo
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Alberta, Canada.,The Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Alberta, Canada
| | - Danuta Stack
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Alberta, Canada.,The Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Alberta, Canada
| | - Shaunna H Huston
- The Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Alberta, Canada
| | - Christopher H Mody
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Alberta, Canada.,The Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Fantini M, David JM, Annunziata CM, Morelli MP, Arlen PM, Tsang KY. The Monoclonal Antibody NEO-201 Enhances Natural Killer Cell Cytotoxicity Against Tumor Cells Through Blockade of the Inhibitory CEACAM5/CEACAM1 Immune Checkpoint Pathway. Cancer Biother Radiopharm 2020; 35:190-198. [PMID: 31928422 DOI: 10.1089/cbr.2019.3141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Natural killer (NK) cells are essential to innate immunity and participate in cancer immune surveillance. Heterophilic interactions between carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) on tumor cells and carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1) on NK cells inhibit NK cell cytotoxicity against tumor cells. NEO-201 is a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody that recognizes members of CEACAM family, expressed specifically on a variety of human carcinoma cell lines and tumor tissues. This investigation was designed to determine whether the binding of NEO-201 with CEACAM5 on tumor cells can block the CEACAM5/CEACAM1 interaction to restore antitumor cytotoxicity of NK cells. Materials and Methods: In vitro functional assays, using various human tumor cell lines as target cells and NK-92 cells as effectors, were conducted to assess the ability of NEO-201 to block the interaction between CEACAM5 on tumor cells and CEACAM1 on NK cells to enhance the in vitro killing of tumor cells by NK-92. NK-92 cells were used as a model of direct NK killing of tumor cells because they lack antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity activity. Results: Expression profiling revealed that various human carcinoma cell lines expressed different levels of CEACAM5+ and NEO-201+ cells. Addition of NEO-201 significantly enhanced NK-92 cell cytotoxicity against highly CEACAM5+/NEO-201+ expressing tumor cells, suggesting that its activity is correlated with the level of CEACAM5+/NEO-201+ expression. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that NEO-201 can block the interaction between CEACAM5 on tumor cells and CEACAM1 on NK cells to reverse CEACAM1-dependent inhibition of NK cytotoxicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Christina M Annunziata
- Women's Malignancy Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Maria Pia Morelli
- Women's Malignancy Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Ogbomo H, Timm-McCann M, Barnes T, Xiang RF, Jamil K, Ganguly A, Stack D, Huston SM, Li SS, Colarusso P, Mody CH. Granule-Dependent NK Cell Killing of Cryptococcus Requires Kinesin to Reposition the Cytolytic Machinery for Directed Cytotoxicity. Cell Rep 2019; 24:3017-3032. [PMID: 30208325 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.08.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2017] [Revised: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcus is the most important cause of fungal meningitis in immunocompromised individuals. Host defense against Cryptococcus involves direct killing by NK cells. That NK cells from HIV-infected patients fail to polarize perforin to the microbial synapse and kill C. neoformans led us to explore the mechanisms used to reposition and polarize the cytolytic granules to the synapse. Using live-cell imaging, we observed microtubule and granule movements in response to Cryptococcus that revealed a kinesin-dependent event. Eg5-kinesin bound to perforin-containing granules and was required for association with the microtubules. Inhibition of Eg5-kinesin abrogated dynein-dependent granule convergence to the MTOC and granule and MTOC polarization to the synapse and suppressed NK cell killing of Cryptococcus. In contrast, Eg5-kinesin was dispensable for tumor killing. This reveals an alternative mechanism of MTOC repositioning and granule polarization, not used in tumor cytotoxicity, in which Eg5-kinesin is required to initiate granule movement, leading to microbial killing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Henry Ogbomo
- The Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Martina Timm-McCann
- The Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Tavish Barnes
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Richard F Xiang
- The Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Khusraw Jamil
- The Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Anutosh Ganguly
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Danuta Stack
- The Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Shaunna M Huston
- The Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Shu Shun Li
- The Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Pina Colarusso
- The Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Christopher H Mody
- The Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Internal Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Shabrish S, Kelkar M, Chavan N, Desai M, Bargir U, Gupta M, Mehta P, Chichra A, S C, Taur P, Saxena V, Vundinti BR, Madkaikar M. Natural Killer Cell Degranulation Defect: A Cause for Impaired NK-Cell Cytotoxicity and Hyperinflammation in Fanconi Anemia Patients. Front Immunol 2019; 10:490. [PMID: 30949167 PMCID: PMC6438155 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare inherited syndrome characterized by progressive bone marrow failure (BMF), abnormal skin pigmentation, short stature, and increased cancer risk. BMF in FA is multifactorial and largely results from the death of hematopoietic stem cells due to genomic instability. Also, inflammatory pathology in FA has been previously reported, however the mechanism is still not clear. In literature, decreased NK-cell count and/or impaired NK-cell activity, along with other immunological abnormalities have been described in FA-patients (1). However, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report showing a defective degranulation mechanism leading to abnormal NK-cell cytotoxicity in FA-patients, which may explain the development of a hyperinflammatory response in these patients. This may predispose some patients to develop Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) which manifests with prolonged fever, progressive cytopenias and organomegaly. Early diagnosis and initiation of immunosuppressive therapy in these patients will help to better manage these patients. We also propose FA genes to be listed as a cause of familial HLH.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Snehal Shabrish
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Leukocyte Biology, National Institute of Iummunohematology (ICMR), KEM Hospital, Mumbai, India
| | - Madhura Kelkar
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Leukocyte Biology, National Institute of Iummunohematology (ICMR), KEM Hospital, Mumbai, India
| | - Niranjan Chavan
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Leukocyte Biology, National Institute of Iummunohematology (ICMR), KEM Hospital, Mumbai, India
| | - Mukesh Desai
- Division of Immunology, Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children, Mumbai, India
| | - Umair Bargir
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Leukocyte Biology, National Institute of Iummunohematology (ICMR), KEM Hospital, Mumbai, India
| | - Maya Gupta
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Leukocyte Biology, National Institute of Iummunohematology (ICMR), KEM Hospital, Mumbai, India
| | | | | | - Chandrakala S
- Department of Haematology, Seth G. S. Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai, India
| | - Prasad Taur
- Division of Immunology, Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children, Mumbai, India
| | - Vinay Saxena
- National Institute of Virology, Mumbai Unit, Haffkine Institute, Mumbai, India
| | - Babu Rao Vundinti
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Leukocyte Biology, National Institute of Iummunohematology (ICMR), KEM Hospital, Mumbai, India
| | - Manisha Madkaikar
- Department of Paediatric Immunology and Leukocyte Biology, National Institute of Iummunohematology (ICMR), KEM Hospital, Mumbai, India
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Su Z, Ye X, Shang L. MiR-506 Promotes Natural Killer Cell Cytotoxicity against Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells by Targeting STAT3. Yonsei Med J 2019; 60:22-29. [PMID: 30554487 PMCID: PMC6298889 DOI: 10.3349/ymj.2019.60.1.22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Revised: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE It is well documented that natural killer (NK) cytotoxicity against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells is impaired in HCC, which might account for the failure of anti-tumor immune response. miRNAs are considered as important regulators for the development and functions of NK cells. However, the entire role of miR-506 in NK cells remains far from being addressed. MATERIALS AND METHODS The expressions of miR-506 and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) mRNA in primary NK cells from HCC patients and healthy controls were detected by quantitative real-time PCR. NK cell cytotoxicity was assessed by CFSE/7AAD cytotoxicity assay and lactate dehydrogenase assay. Luciferase reporter assay, RNA immunoprecipitation assay, and western blot were conducted to confirm the interaction between miR-506 and STAT3. RESULTS miR-506 expression was downregulated and STAT3 mRNA was upregulated in primary NK cells from HCC patients. Primary NK cells from HCC patients showed remarkably reduced cytotoxicity against SMMC7721 or HepG2 cells. NK cell cytotoxicity was positively correlated with miR-506 expression and negatively correlated with STAT3 mRNA expression. Additionally, miR-506 overexpression enhanced NK cell cytotoxicity against HCC cells, while miR-506 inhibitor showed the reverse effect. Moreover, miR-506 could suppress STAT3 expression by directly targeting 3'-untranslated regions of STAT3. A negative correlation between miR-506 and STAT3 mRNA expression in HCC patients was observed. Mechanistically, overexpressing STAT3 greatly reversed miR-506-mediated promotion of NK cell cytotoxicity against HCC cells. CONCLUSION miR-506 enhanced NK cell cytotoxicity against HCC cells by targeting STAT3, suggesting that modulating miR-506 expression maybe a promising approach for enhancing NK cell-based antitumor therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhixiong Su
- Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
| | - Xinping Ye
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Liming Shang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Xu L, Shen M, Chen X, Zhu R, Yang DR, Tsai Y, Keng PC, Chen Y, Lee SO. Adipocytes affect castration-resistant prostate cancer cells to develop the resistance to cytotoxic action of NK cells with alterations of PD-L1/NKG2D ligand levels in tumor cells. Prostate 2018; 78:353-364. [PMID: 29330929 DOI: 10.1002/pros.23479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Obesity affects prostate cancer (PCa) progression, and the periprostatic adipose tissue adjacent to the prostate is considered a driving force of disease progression. Adipocytes are the main cell population in adipose tissues and their paracrine role contributes to PCa progression, however its implication in modulating immune reactions remains largely unknown. We investigated the adipocyte role in controlling the susceptibility of castration-resistant PCa (CRPC) cells to the cytotoxic action of natural killer (NK) cells. METHODS Using primary NK cells as the NK cell source, NK cell cytotoxicities to CRPC cells, either control media treated or adipocyte-conditioned media (CM) treated, were tested in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release-based assays. The levels of programmed death receptor ligand (PD-L1) and NK group 2D (NKG2D) ligands in adipocyte CM-treated CRPC cells were analyzed in qPCR analyses. Effects of blocking adipocyte action on altering PD-L1/NKG2D ligand levels and the susceptibility of CRPC cells to NK cell cytotoxicity were investigated. RESULTS We found NK cell cytotoxicity to CRPC cells decreases when tumor cells are treated with adipocyte CM associated with PD-L1 and NKG2D ligand level alterations. Further, we discovered that the JAK/Stat3 signaling pathway was responsible for the adipocyte CM effect. Two adipokine molecules, IL-6 and leptin, were shown to be important in activation of the JAK/Stat3 signaling in CRPC cells to modulate the PD-L1/NKG2D ligand level alteration. Adding the inhibitors of JAK/Stat3 signaling or neutralizing antibodies of IL-6 or leptin increased the susceptibility of CRPC cells to NK cell action. CONCLUSIONS Blocking the adipocyte effect by inhibiting the IL-6/leptin-JAK/Stat3 signaling axis may enhance NK cell mediated immunity to CRPC cells and this strategy may help to develop future therapeutics to treat obese PCa patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Xu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York
- Dep, artment of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Mingjing Shen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York
- Dep, artment of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Xiaodong Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York
| | - Rongying Zhu
- Dep, artment of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Dong-Rong Yang
- Dep, artment of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Ying Tsai
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York
| | - Peter C Keng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York
| | - Yuhchyau Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York
| | - Soo Ok Lee
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Tai LH, Alkayyal AA, Leslie AL, Sahi S, Bennett S, Tanese de Souza C, Baxter K, Angka L, Xu R, Kennedy MA, Auer RC. Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibition reduces postoperative metastatic disease by targeting surgery-induced myeloid derived suppressor cell-dependent inhibition of Natural Killer cell cytotoxicity. Oncoimmunology 2018; 7:e1431082. [PMID: 29872554 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2018.1431082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Revised: 01/13/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer surgery while necessary for primary tumor removal, has been shown to induce immune suppression and promote metastases in preclinical models and human cancer surgery patients. Activating the immune system and reversing immunosuppression have emerged as promising ways to treat cancer and they can be safely employed in the perioperative period. In this study, we evaluated the immunotherapeutic potential of phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors to target surgery-induced myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) and restore natural killer (NK) cell function in the clinically relevant perioperative period. Immunocompetent murine tumor models of major surgery were used to characterize the functional suppression of surgery-induced MDSC and to assess the in vivo efficacy of perioperative PDE5 inhibition. In cancer surgery patients with abdominal malignancies, we assessed postoperative NK cell function following co-culture with MDSC and PDE5 inhibition. Perioperative PDE5 inhibition reverses surgery-induced immunosuppression. In particular, sildenafil reduces surgery-derived granulocytic-MDSC (gMDSC) function through downregulation of arginase 1 (ARG1), IL4Ra and reactive oxygen species (ROS) expression, enabling NK cell antitumor cytotoxicity and reducing postoperative disease recurrence. By removing surgery-derived immunosuppressive mechanisms of MDSCs, sildenafil can be combined with the administration of perioperative influenza vaccination which targets NK cells to reduce postoperative metastasis. Importantly, sildenafil reverses MDSC suppression in cancer surgery patients. These findings demonstrate that PDE5 inhibitors reduce postoperative metastasis by their ability to inhibit surgery-induced MDSC. Further clinical studies are warranted to investigate the immunotherapeutic role of PDE5 inhibitors in combination with cancer surgery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lee-Hwa Tai
- Centre for Innovative Cancer Research, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Almohanad A Alkayyal
- Centre for Innovative Cancer Research, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amanda L Leslie
- Centre for Innovative Cancer Research, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Shalini Sahi
- Centre for Innovative Cancer Research, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Sean Bennett
- Centre for Innovative Cancer Research, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Department of Surgery, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Katherine Baxter
- Centre for Innovative Cancer Research, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Leonard Angka
- Centre for Innovative Cancer Research, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Rebecca Xu
- Centre for Innovative Cancer Research, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Michael A Kennedy
- Centre for Innovative Cancer Research, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Rebecca C Auer
- Centre for Innovative Cancer Research, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Department of Surgery, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Xu L, Shen M, Chen X, Yang DR, Tsai Y, Keng PC, Lee SO, Chen Y. In vitro-induced M2 type macrophages induces the resistance of prostate cancer cells to cytotoxic action of NK cells. Exp Cell Res 2018; 364:113-123. [PMID: 29408565 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2018.01.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Previous reports, including our experimental results, showed that macrophages migrate to prostate cancer (PCa) cells. We tested whether the migrated macrophages affect the susceptibility of castration-resistant PCa (CRPC) cells to cytotoxic actions of natural killer (NK) cells. We found treatment of tumor cells with the conditioned media (CM) of the PMA/IL-4 treated THP-1 cells (M2 type macrophages) (THP-1 CM) decreased the susceptibility of tumor cells to NK cell cytotoxicity, as a result of increased programmed death receptor ligand 1 (PD-L1) and decreased NK group 2D (NKG2D) ligands in CRPC cells. Meanwhile, the decreased susceptibility of tumor cells was also detected when NK cells were treated with THP-1 CM and used in NK cell cytotoxicity tests. Therefore, we observed higher resistance of CRPC cells when both tumor and NK cells were treated with THP-1 CM than when tumor cells or NK cells were individually treated. We further discovered that the PMA/IL-4 treated THP-1 cells secrete a high level of IL-6, so blocking the IL-6 action significantly decreased the PD-L1 level while recovering the NKG2D ligands, thus increasing the susceptibility of CRPC cells to NK cell action. Moreover, we discovered that JAK-Stat3 is the most critical IL-6 downstream signaling in triggering the THP-1 CM effect. Consequently, we found the susceptibility of CRPC cells to NK cells was increased when either JAK or Stat 3 inhibitor was added when tumor cells were treated with THP-1 CM, and that the best effect was observed when the JAK inhibitor and PD-L1 Ab were added together.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Xu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215004, PR China
| | - Mingjing Shen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215004, PR China
| | - Xiaodong Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Dong-Rong Yang
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215004, PR China
| | - Ying Tsai
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Peter C Keng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Soo Ok Lee
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
| | - Yuhchyau Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Xu L, Chen X, Shen M, Yang DR, Fang L, Weng G, Tsai Y, Keng PC, Chen Y, Lee SO. Inhibition of IL-6-JAK/Stat3 signaling in castration-resistant prostate cancer cells enhances the NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity via alteration of PD-L1/NKG2D ligand levels. Mol Oncol 2018; 12:269-286. [PMID: 28865178 PMCID: PMC5830627 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Revised: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 08/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
To investigate whether IL‐6 signaling affects the susceptibility of castration‐resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) cells to cytotoxic action of natural killer (NK) cells, CRPC cell lines (having different IL‐6 levels) were developed by lentiviral transduction. While observing no secreted IL‐6 level in parental C4‐2 and CWR22Rv1 cells, we found the IL‐6 expression/secretion in these cells was induced after the transduction process and the IL‐6 level difference in C4‐2siIL‐6/sc and CWR22siIL‐6/sc cell CRPC cell sets could be detected. We then found that IL‐6‐knockdown cells were more susceptible to NK cell cytotoxicity than control cells due to lowered programmed death receptor ligand 1 (PD‐L1) and increased NK group 2D (NKG2D) ligand levels. In animal studies, to concur with the in vitro results, we found that IL‐6‐expressing cell‐derived tumors were more resistant to NK cell action than the tumors of IL‐6‐knockdown cells. Further, we discovered that JAK‐Stat3 is the most critical IL‐6 downstream signaling that modulates PD‐L1/NKG2D ligand levels in CRPC cells. Furthermore, inhibition of the JAK or Stat3 signaling effectively increased the susceptibility of C4‐2sc and CWRsc cells to NK cell cytotoxicity. We observed the most effective cytotoxicity when the PD‐L1 Ab and JAK inhibitor (or Stat 3 inhibitor) were used together. These results suggest that the strategy of targeting IL‐6 signaling (or its downstream signaling) may enhance the NK cell‐mediated immune action to CRPC tumors, thus yielding clinical implications in developing future immunotherapeutics of exploiting this strategy to treat patients with CRPC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- LiJun Xu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, NY, USA.,Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - XiaoDong Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, NY, USA.,Department of Urology, Ningbo Urology and Nephrology Hospital, China
| | - MingJing Shen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, NY, USA.,Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Dong-Rong Yang
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Laifu Fang
- Department of Pathology, Ningbo Yin Zhou Hospital, China
| | - Guobin Weng
- Department of Urology, Ningbo Urology and Nephrology Hospital, China
| | - Ying Tsai
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Peter C Keng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Yuhchyau Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Soo Ok Lee
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Paniz C, Bertinato JF, Lucena MR, De Carli E, Amorim PMDS, Gomes GW, Palchetti CZ, Figueiredo MS, Pfeiffer CM, Fazili Z, Green R, Guerra-Shinohara EM. A Daily Dose of 5 mg Folic Acid for 90 Days Is Associated with Increased Serum Unmetabolized Folic Acid and Reduced Natural Killer Cell Cytotoxicity in Healthy Brazilian Adults. J Nutr 2017; 147:1677-1685. [PMID: 28724658 PMCID: PMC5712455 DOI: 10.3945/jn.117.247445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Revised: 04/25/2017] [Accepted: 06/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The effects of high-dose folic acid (FA) supplementation in healthy individuals on blood folate concentrations and immune response are unknown.Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of daily consumption of a tablet containing 5 mg FA on serum folate; number and cytotoxicity of natural killer (NK) cells; mRNA expression of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), interferon γ (IFNG), tumor necrosis factor α (TNFA), and interleukin 8 (IL8) genes; and concentrations of serum inflammatory markers.Methods: This prospective clinical trial was conducted in 30 healthy Brazilian adults (15 women), aged 27.7 y (95% CI: 26.4, 29.1 y), with a body mass index (in kg/m2) of 23.1 (95% CI: 22.0, 24.3). Blood was collected at baseline and after 45 and 90 d of the intervention. Serum folate concentrations were measured by microbiological assay and HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry [folate forms, including unmetabolized folic acid (UMFA)]. We used real-time polymerase chain reaction to assess mononuclear leukocyte mRNA expression and flow cytometry to measure the number and cytotoxicity of NK cells.Results: Serum folate concentrations increased by ∼5-fold after the intervention (P < 0.001), and UMFA concentrations increased by 11.9- and 5.9-fold at 45 and 90 d, respectively, when compared with baseline (P < 0.001). UMFA concentrations increased (>1.12 nmol/L) in 29 (96.6%) participants at day 45 and in 26 (86.7%) participants at day 90. We observed significant reductions in the number (P < 0.001) and cytotoxicity (P = 0.003) of NK cells after 45 and 90 d. Compared with baseline, DHFR mRNA expression was higher at 90 d (P = 0.006) and IL8 and TNFA mRNA expressions were higher at 45 and 90 d (P = 0.001 for both).Conclusion: This noncontrolled intervention showed that healthy adults responded to a high-dose FA supplement with increased UMFA concentrations, changes in cytokine mRNA expression, and reduced number and cytotoxicity of NK cells. This trial was registered at www.ensaiosclinicos.gov.br as RBR-2pr7zp.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clovis Paniz
- Departments of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis and
| | | | - Maylla Rodrigues Lucena
- Hematology and Blood Transfusion Division, Federal University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eduardo De Carli
- Food and Experimental Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Maria Stella Figueiredo
- Hematology and Blood Transfusion Division, Federal University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Zia Fazili
- National Center for Environmental Health, CDC, Atlanta, GA; and
| | - Ralph Green
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA
| | - Elvira Maria Guerra-Shinohara
- Departments of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis and
- Hematology and Blood Transfusion Division, Federal University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Bansal R, Ford B, Bhaskaran S, Thum M, Bansal A. Elevated Levels of Serum Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A Are Not Related to NK Cell Parameters in Recurrent IVF Failure. J Reprod Infertil 2017; 18:280-7. [PMID: 29062792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and NK cells have an interrelated role in angiogenesis that is critical for placentation and success of in vitro fertilization. An attempt was made to assess a possible relationship between the two in this study. METHODS A case control study was performed comparing the serum levels of VEGF-A and its receptor VEGF-R1 with levels of NK cells, activated NK cells and NK cytotoxicity in 62 women with Repeated Implantation Failure (RIF). The healthy control group consisted of 72 women of similar age, without known issues in achieving pregnancy or evidence of autoimmunity. Levels of VEGF-A and VEGF-R1 were quantified by ELISA methods with standard curve interpolation. NK cell subsets were determined with flow cytometry using fluorescent-tagged anti-CD56, anti-CD16, anti-CD3 and anti-CD69. NK cytotoxicity was performed by incubating peripheral blood mononuclear cells and K562 cultured cells with propidium iodide, steroid, intralipid and intravenous immunoglobulin, using previously described methods. Statistical analysis involved Mann-Whitney-U and Spearman's rank correlation testing with p-values defined as <0.05. RESULTS It was found that VEGF-A levels were significantly raised in women with RIF compared to healthy controls (362.9 vs. 171.6 pg/ml, p<0.0001), with no difference in VEGF-R1 levels between groups (1499 vs. 1202 pg/ml, p=0.4082). There was no correlation between VEGF-A or VEGF-R1 and the absolute levels of circulating NK cells, CD69 activated NK cells or NK cytotoxicity. CONCLUSION The absence of correlation between VEGF-A or VEGF-R1 and NK cells suggests VEGF secretion and regulation is independent of NK cell activity in RIF.
Collapse
|
23
|
Kim YH, Won YS, Yang X, Kumazoe M, Yamashita S, Hara A, Takagaki A, Goto K, Nanjo F, Tachibana H. Green Tea Catechin Metabolites Exert Immunoregulatory Effects on CD4(+) T Cell and Natural Killer Cell Activities. J Agric Food Chem 2016; 64:3591-3597. [PMID: 27112424 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.6b01115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Tea catechins, such as (-)-epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG), have been shown to effectively enhance immune activity and prevent cancer, although the underlying mechanism is unclear. Green tea catechins are instead converted to catechin metabolites in the intestine. Here, we show that these green tea catechin metabolites enhance CD4(+) T cell activity as well as natural killer (NK) cell activity. Our data suggest that the absence of a 4'-hydroxyl on this phenyl group (B ring) is important for the effect on immune activity. In particular, 5-(3',5'-dihydroxyphenyl)-γ-valerolactone (EGC-M5), a major metabolite of EGCG, not only increased the activity of CD4(+) T cells but also enhanced the cytotoxic activity of NK cells in vivo. These data suggest that EGC-M5 might show immunostimulatory activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yoon Hee Kim
- Division of Applied Biological Chemistry, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University , 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan
- Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Engineering, Daegu University , Gyeongsan 712-714, Korea
| | - Yeong-Seon Won
- Division of Applied Biological Chemistry, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University , 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan
| | - Xue Yang
- Division of Applied Biological Chemistry, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University , 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan
| | - Motofumi Kumazoe
- Division of Applied Biological Chemistry, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University , 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan
| | - Shuya Yamashita
- Division of Applied Biological Chemistry, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University , 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan
| | - Aya Hara
- Food Research Laboratories, Mitsui Norin Company, Limited , 223-1 Miyabara, Fujieda-shi, Shizuoka 426-0133, Japan
| | - Akiko Takagaki
- Food Research Laboratories, Mitsui Norin Company, Limited , 223-1 Miyabara, Fujieda-shi, Shizuoka 426-0133, Japan
| | - Keiichi Goto
- Food Research Laboratories, Mitsui Norin Company, Limited , 223-1 Miyabara, Fujieda-shi, Shizuoka 426-0133, Japan
| | - Fumio Nanjo
- Food Research Laboratories, Mitsui Norin Company, Limited , 223-1 Miyabara, Fujieda-shi, Shizuoka 426-0133, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Tachibana
- Division of Applied Biological Chemistry, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University , 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Klöß S, Chambron N, Gardlowski T, Arseniev L, Koch J, Esser R, Glienke W, Seitz O, Köhl U. Increased sMICA and TGFβ 1 levels in HNSCC patients impair NKG2D-dependent functionality of activated NK cells. Oncoimmunology 2015; 4:e1055993. [PMID: 26451327 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2015.1055993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2014] [Revised: 03/27/2015] [Accepted: 04/06/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Disseminated head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) escapes immune surveillance and thus frequently manifests as fatal disease. Here, we report on the distribution of distinct immune cell subpopulations, natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity and tumor immune escape mechanisms (TIEMs) in 55 HNSCC patients, either at initial diagnosis or present with tumor relapse. Compared to healthy controls, the regulatory NK cells and the ratio of pro/anti-inflammatory cytokines were decreased in HNSCC patients, while soluble major histocompatibility complex Class I chain-related peptide A (sMICA) and transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) plasma levels were markedly elevated. Increased sMICA and TGFβ1 concentrations correlated with tumor progression and staging characteristics in 7 follow-up HNSCC patients, with significantly elevated levels of both soluble factors from the time of initial diagnosis to that of relapse. Patient plasma containing elevated sMICA and TGFβ1 markedly impaired NKG2D-dependent cytotoxicity against HNSCC cells upon incubation with patient-derived and IL-2 activated NK cells vs. those derived from healthy donors. Decreased antitumor recognition was accompanied by reduced NKG2D expression on the NK cell surface and an enhanced caspase-3 activity. In-vitro blocking and neutralization experiments demonstrated a synergistic negative impact of sMICA and TGFβ1 on NK cell functionality. Although we previously showed the feasibility and safety of transfer of allogeneic donor NK cells in a prior clinical study encompassing various leukemia and tumor patients, our present results suggest the need for caution regarding the sole use of adoptive NK cell transfer. The presence of soluble NKG2D ligands in the plasma of HNSCC patients and the decreased NK cell cytotoxicity due to several factors, especially TGFβ1, indicates timely depletion of these immunosuppressing molecules may promote NK cell-based immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Klöß
- Institute for Cellular therapeutics; IFB-Tx; Hannover Medical School ; Hannover, Germany
| | - Nicole Chambron
- Department of Oral; Cranio-Maxillofacial and Facial Plastic Surgery; Klinikum Hanau GmbH ; Hanau, Germany
| | - Tanja Gardlowski
- Institute for Cellular therapeutics; IFB-Tx; Hannover Medical School ; Hannover, Germany
| | - Lubomir Arseniev
- Institute for Cellular therapeutics; IFB-Tx; Hannover Medical School ; Hannover, Germany
| | - Joachim Koch
- Georg-Speyer-Haus; Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy ; Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Ruth Esser
- Institute for Cellular therapeutics; IFB-Tx; Hannover Medical School ; Hannover, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Glienke
- Institute for Cellular therapeutics; IFB-Tx; Hannover Medical School ; Hannover, Germany
| | - Oliver Seitz
- Department of Oral; Cranio-Maxillofacial and Facial Plastic Surgery; Klinikum Hanau GmbH ; Hanau, Germany
| | - Ulrike Köhl
- Institute for Cellular therapeutics; IFB-Tx; Hannover Medical School ; Hannover, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Kim N, Kim M, Yun S, Doh J, Greenberg PD, Kim TD, Choi I. MicroRNA-150 regulates the cytotoxicity of natural killers by targeting perforin-1. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2014; 134:195-203. [PMID: 24698324 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2014.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2013] [Revised: 01/15/2014] [Accepted: 02/14/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Perforin-1 (Prf1) is the predominant cytolytic protein secreted by natural killer (NK) cells. For a rapid immune response, resting NK cells contain high Prf1 mRNA concentrations while exhibiting minimal cytotoxicity caused by a blockage of Prf1 protein synthesis, implying that an unknown posttranscriptional regulatory mechanism exists. OBJECTIVE We sought to determine whether microRNA-150 (miR-150) posttranscriptionally regulates Prf1 translation in both mouse and human NK cells at rest and at various time points after activation. METHODS Mouse NK cells with a targeted deletion of miR-150 (miR-150(-/-) NK cells), primary human NK cells, and NK92 MI cells were used to investigate the role of miR-150 in NK cells. NK cell cytotoxicity assays and Western blotting proved that activated miR-150(-/-) NK cells expressed upregulated Prf1, augmenting NK cell cytotoxicity. When immunodeficient mice were injected with miR-150(-/-) NK cells, there was a significant reduction in tumor growth and metastasis of B16F10 melanoma. RESULTS We report that miR-150 binds to 3' untranslated regions of mouse and human Prf1, posttranscriptionally downregulating its expression. Mouse wild-type NK cells displayed downregulated miR-150 expression in response to IL-15, which led to corresponding repression and induction of Prf1 during rest and after IL-15 activation, respectively. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that miR-150 is a common posttranscriptional regulator for Prf1 in mouse and human NK cells that represses NK cell lytic activity. Thus the therapeutic control of miR-150 in NK cells could enhance NK cell-based immunotherapy against cancer, providing a better clinical outcome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nayoung Kim
- Immunotherapy Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Korea
| | - Miju Kim
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering (I-Bio), POSTECH, Pohang, Korea; Department of Mechanical Engineering, POSTECH, Pohang, Korea
| | - Sohyun Yun
- Immunotherapy Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Korea
| | - Junsang Doh
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering (I-Bio), POSTECH, Pohang, Korea; Department of Mechanical Engineering, POSTECH, Pohang, Korea
| | - Philip D Greenberg
- Departments of Immunology and Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Wash
| | - Tae-Don Kim
- Immunotherapy Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Korea; Department of Functional Genomics, University of Science and Technology (UST), KRIBB, Daejeon, Korea.
| | - Inpyo Choi
- Immunotherapy Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Korea; Department of Functional Genomics, University of Science and Technology (UST), KRIBB, Daejeon, Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Rosenne E, Sorski L, Shaashua L, Neeman E, Matzner P, Levi B, Ben-Eliyahu S. In vivo suppression of NK cell cytotoxicity by stress and surgery: glucocorticoids have a minor role compared to catecholamines and prostaglandins. Brain Behav Immun 2014; 37:207-19. [PMID: 24333572 PMCID: PMC4322769 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2013.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2013] [Revised: 11/28/2013] [Accepted: 12/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Most in vitro and ex-vivo studies indicate a profound suppression of NK cell cytotoxicity (NKCC) by glucocorticoids; while catecholamines and prostaglandins were reported both to suppress and to enhance NKCC. However, methodological considerations hinder our ability to deduce from these findings to the impact of endogenous release of these factors on in vivo levels of NKCC and their implications to NK-dependent resistance to pathologies in living humans or animals. Here we used an in vivo approach that sensitively and specifically reflects NKCC in living F344 rats, based on lung clearance of NK-sensitive tumor cells (MADB106), and based on comparing effects between NK-intact and NK-depleted rats. To study the role of corticosterone, epinephrine, and prostaglandins, we administered these factors to rats, or antagonized their endogenous release following different stress paradigms or surgery. The results indicated that endogenous or exogenous elevated corticosterone levels can suppress in vivo NKCC levels, but only under some conditions, and mostly secondarily to the NK-suppressing impact of epinephrine. Specifically, corticosterone-induced NKCC suppression occurred (i) only under prolonged, but not short exposure to stress, and mainly in males; (ii) was smaller than the prominent impact of epinephrine; (iii) was mostly ascribed to corticosterone-induced potentiation of the effects of epinephrine or/and prostaglandins; and (iv) was completely abolished through antagonizing epinephrine or/and prostaglandins. Overall, these findings markedly limit the significance of stress/surgery-induced corticosterone release in the in vivo suppression of NKCC, and highlight the blockade of epinephrine or/and prostaglandins as effective and clinically feasible approaches to overcome such immuno-suppressive effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Shamgar Ben-Eliyahu
- Neuroimmunology Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Ham H, Billadeau DD. Human immunodeficiency syndromes affecting human natural killer cell cytolytic activity. Front Immunol 2014; 5:2. [PMID: 24478771 PMCID: PMC3896857 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2014.00002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2013] [Accepted: 01/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes of the innate immune system that secrete cytokines upon activation and mediate the killing of tumor cells and virus-infected cells, especially those that escape the adaptive T cell response caused by the down regulation of MHC-I. The induction of cytotoxicity requires that NK cells contact target cells through adhesion receptors, and initiate activation signaling leading to increased adhesion and accumulation of F-actin at the NK cell cytotoxic synapse. Concurrently, lytic granules undergo minus-end directed movement and accumulate at the microtubule-organizing center through the interaction with microtubule motor proteins, followed by polarization of the lethal cargo toward the target cell. Ultimately, myosin-dependent movement of the lytic granules toward the NK cell plasma membrane through F-actin channels, along with soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor-dependent fusion, promotes the release of the lytic granule contents into the cleft between the NK cell and target cell resulting in target cell killing. Herein, we will discuss several disease-causing mutations in primary immunodeficiency syndromes and how they impact NK cell-mediated killing by disrupting distinct steps of this tightly regulated process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hyoungjun Ham
- Department of Immunology, College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic , Rochester, MN , USA
| | - Daniel D Billadeau
- Department of Immunology, College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic , Rochester, MN , USA ; Division of Oncology Research and Schulze Center for Novel Therapeutics, College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic , Rochester, MN , USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Yu FS, Yang JS, Yu CS, Chiang JH, Lu CC, Chung HK, Yu CC, Wu CC, Ho HC, Chung JG. Safrole suppresses murine myelomonocytic leukemia WEHI-3 cells in vivo, and stimulates macrophage phagocytosis and natural killer cell cytotoxicity in leukemic mice. Environ Toxicol 2013; 28:601-608. [PMID: 24150866 DOI: 10.1002/tox.20756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2011] [Revised: 06/07/2011] [Accepted: 06/20/2011] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Many anticancer drugs are obtained from phytochemicals and natural products. However, some phytochemicals have mutagenic effects. Safrole, a component of Piper betle inflorescence, has been reported to be a carcinogen. We have previously reported that safrole induced apoptosis in human oral cancer cells in vitro and inhibited the human oral tumor xenograft growth in vivo. Until now, there is no information addressing if safrole promotes immune responses in vivo. To evaluate whether safrole modulated immune function, BALB/c mice were intraperitoneally injected with murine myelomonocytic WEHI-3 leukemia cells to establish leukemia and then were treated with or without safrole at 4 and 16 mg/kg. Animals were sacrificed after 2 weeks post-treatment with safrole for examining the immune cell populations, phagocytosis of macrophages and the natural killer (NK) cells' cytotoxicity. Results indicated that safrole increased the body weight, and decreased the weights of spleen and liver in leukemic mice. Furthermore, safrole promoted the activities of macrophages phagocytosis and NK cells' cytotoxicity in leukemic mice when compared with untreated leukemic mice. After determining the cell marker population, we found that safrole promoted the levels of CD3 (T cells), CD19 (B cells) and Mac-3 (macrophages), but it did not affect CD11b (monocytes) in leukemic mice. In conclusion, safrole altered the immune modulation and inhibited the leukemia WEHI-3 cells in vivo.
Collapse
MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antigens, CD19/blood
- Apoptosis/immunology
- Biomarkers/blood
- CD11b Antigen/blood
- CD3 Complex/blood
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Cytotoxicity, Immunologic
- Killer Cells, Natural/drug effects
- Killer Cells, Natural/immunology
- Killer Cells, Natural/pathology
- Leukemia, Myeloid/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Myeloid/immunology
- Leukemia, Myeloid/pathology
- Liver/drug effects
- Liver/pathology
- Macrophages/drug effects
- Macrophages/immunology
- Macrophages/pathology
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Neoplasm Transplantation
- Phagocytosis/drug effects
- Safrole/pharmacology
- Safrole/therapeutic use
- Spleen/drug effects
- Spleen/immunology
- Spleen/pathology
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fu-Shun Yu
- Department of Dental Hygiene, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Mace EM, Orange JS. New views of the human NK cell immunological synapse: recent advances enabled by super- and high-resolution imaging techniques. Front Immunol 2013; 3:421. [PMID: 23316204 PMCID: PMC3540402 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2012.00421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2012] [Accepted: 12/20/2012] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Imaging technology has undergone rapid growth with the development of super resolution microscopy, which enables resolution below the diffraction barrier of light (~200 nm). In addition, new techniques for single molecule imaging are being added to the cell biologist's arsenal. Immunologists have exploited these techniques to advance understanding of NK biology, particularly that of the immune synapse. The immune synapse's relatively small size and complex architecture combined with its exquisitely controlled signaling milieu have made it a challenge to visualize. In this review we highlight and discuss new insights into NK cell immune synapse formation and regulation revealed by cutting edge imaging techniques, including super-resolution microscopy, high-resolution total internal reflection microscopy, and Förster resonance energy transfer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily M Mace
- Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX, USA ; Texas Children's Hospital Center for Human Immunobiology Houston, TX, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|